Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
An ad free resource for restaurateurs! Over 100 episodes and a new episode every Monday. Listen in to learn from industry leaders how to grow your restaurant, improve your guest experience, turn your customers from strangers to friends, and to leverage data and marketing tools to increase your revenue.
Episodes
381 episodes
From Gas Stations to 3,400 Units: Alice Crowder at Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Alice Crowder, CMO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken, joins Zack Oates to break down how the brand grew to nearly 3,400 locations without traditional franchising. From gas stations to guest experience strategy, Alice shares how high-quality food, grass...
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19:09
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Michael Lukianoff of SignalFlare on Using AI to Drive Smarter Restaurant Strategy
Michael Lukianoff, CEO of SignalFlare, joins Zack Oates to unpack the restaurant industry's biggest data challenges and opportunities. From AI-driven decision-making to understanding local market dynamics, Michael explains how restaurants can s...
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16:59
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Russ Hawkins of Agilence on Using Data to Improve Guest Experience
Russ Hawkins, CEO of Agilence, joins Zack Oates to break down how restaurant operators can use data to improve guest experience, boost loyalty, and align teams. With a background spanning telecom, retail, and hospitality, Russ shares practical ...
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14:02
Serving Hospitality for 75 Years: Ralph Lewis of Okeechobee Steakhouse
Ralph Lewis, CEO and third-generation owner of Okeechobee Steakhouse, joins Zack Oates to share the secrets behind one of Florida’s most iconic dining institutions. From 75 years of legacy service to 350,000 free birthday steaks, Ralph dives in...
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16:31
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From 16 to 75 Locations: Eric Robison’s Growth Journey at Rock N' Roll Sushi
Eric Robison, developer and multi-unit owner at Rock N' Roll Sushi, joins this episode of Give an Ovation to break down how the brand has grown from 16 to 75+ units and what it takes to get guests back through the doors. From creating a fun, hi...
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15:16
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Barry McGowan of Fogo de Chão on Climbing the Ranks in Hospitality
Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, joins Zack to share his incredible rise from washing dishes to leading a global hospitality brand. With over 40 years in the industry, Barry dives into what real value means for guests, why customizatio...
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18:54
Inside 3Natives: Anthony Bambino’s Guide to Sustainable Growth
Anthony Bambino, founder and CEO of 3Natives, joins Zack Oates to share how he grew a 900-square-foot juice bar into a 50+ location health-focused brand. With no outside investment, Anthony emphasizes why slow, steady, and personal growth beats...
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18:50
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How Savory Fund Powers Guest Experience at Scale with Josh Boshard
Josh Boshard, COO of Savory Fund, joins Zack Oates to talk about what it really takes to scale great restaurant brands. With a background in tech and an obsession for operations, Josh shares how momentum, team empowerment, and data-driven decis...
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21:08
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Creating Guest Loyalty from the Inside Out with Amy Hom of Barcelona Wine Bar
Amy Hom, CEO of Barcelona Wine Bar and a powerhouse leader in hospitality, joins Zack to share how she’s created strong cultures and top-tier guest experiences across some of the industry’s most iconic brands. From reducing turnover to building...
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20:26
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Designing Dining Experiences with Sebastien Silvestri of The Dinex Group
Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of The Dinex Group, joins Zack Oates to share lessons from decades of global hospitality leadership—spanning Bora Bora, Vegas, Miami, and NYC. He dives into how restaurants can elevate the guest experience through enter...
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22:31
Winning with Hospitality-Driven Catering with Pete Mora of Fajita Pete’s
Pete Mora, founder of Fajita Pete’s, joins Zack Oates to share how a catering-first mindset transformed his brand from a full-service Tex-Mex restaurant into a thriving, multi-unit concept. Pete reveals how simplifying the model, building genui...
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17:56
Behind the Pizza: Building Community and Culture with Avery Ward
Avery Ward, CEO of Little Italy Pizza, shares how he transformed his family's business from a small pizza shop into a multi-million-dollar restaurant group. In this episode, Avery talks about the power of content marketing, building lasting rel...
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19:24
Building a Brand on Love, Legacy, and Leadership with Jane Abell of Donatos Pizza
Jane Abell, Executive Chairwoman and Chief Purpose Officer of Donatos Pizza, joins Zack Oates live to discuss how leading with love and purpose has fueled Donatos' growth and guest loyalty. Jane shares how a people-first mindset, innovation, an...
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18:55
Inside The Great Greek’s Rapid Growth with Bob Andersen
Bob Andersen, President of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, joins Zack Oates live at RLC to share how the brand delivers full-service hospitality in a fast-casual setting. Bob discusses the art of preserving authentic experiences while scal...
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22:22
Preserving Culture Through Rapid Growth with Rob Ertmann
Rob Ertmann, President of Mo’ Bettahs, joins Zack Oates live to share how the brand scaled from 22 to over 60 locations while staying true to its “be aloha” culture. Rob explains how simplicity, consistency, and operational focus helped Mo’ Bet...
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19:23
Behind the Growth of Bushfire Kitchen with Oliver Barwin
Oliver Barwin, CEO of Bushfire Kitchen, joins Zack Oates live to share how he transitioned from Wall Street to hospitality, building a fast-casual brand focused on healthy food, hospitality, and smart growth. Oliver explains how technology upgr...
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17:54
Baking Joy Into Every Bagel with Jeff Perera
Jeff Perera, founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, joins Zack to share how a passion project turned into one of the fastest-growing bagel brands in the country. From baking fresh bagels all day long to building real connections with guests, Jeff explain...
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19:02
Craveable Brands Done Right with Lawrence Longo
Lawrence Longo, serial food entrepreneur and founder of Off the Menu, joins Zack to share how building craveable products, creating genuine hospitality, and staying relentlessly simple have driven his success across multiple brands. As CEO of P...
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16:50
Real Connections, Real Results with Yasaman Stewart
Yasaman Stewart, Senior Director of Marketing at Brix Holdings, joins Zack to share how consistency, energy, and real connection drive powerful guest experiences. Drawing from her deep operations and marketing background, Yasaman explains how b...
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15:48
Turning Insight Into Action with Kendall Ware
Kendall Ware, keynote speaker and franchise growth coach, joins Zack to share strategies for building memorable guest experiences rooted in authenticity, consistency, and connection. With a deep background in franchise leadership and hospitalit...
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20:10
Operational Clarity Wins with Sebastian Stahl
Sebastian Stahl, former hospitality operator and now founder of Breadth, joins the show to talk about how restaurants can build marketing systems that actually work. As the host of Restaurant Leaders Unplugged, Sebastian shares how gue...
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15:48
What Truly Creates Restaurant Magic with Troy Guard
Chef Troy Guard, founder of TAG Restaurant Group, joins the show to share how creating a vibe, embracing the unexpected, and mentoring talent have helped him grow multiple restaurant concepts across states. From dishwasher to executive chef, Tr...
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18:37
Rewiring Customer Perception with Melissa Hughes
Dr. Melissa Hughes joins Zack to explore the neuroscience behind the guest experience. As a keynote speaker and author, Melissa breaks down why small missteps in a restaurant can have an outsized impact, and how operators can respond to reviews...
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19:32
Culture That Connects with Chris Schultz
Chris Schultz, CEO of Voodoo Doughnut, joins Zack to share how the brand’s rebellious spirit and cult following stem from bold choices and intentional culture. With decades of experience in hospitality, Chris explores how staying weird can stil...
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18:46
Authenticity by Design with Shaz Khan of Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks
Shaz Khan, co-founder of Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, joins Zack to share how he's built a beloved multi-unit brand without losing the feel of a local favorite. With an engineering mindset and a passion for hospitality, Shaz breaks down the sy...
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17:43
